Friday, February 24, 2017

TITLE : RELATIONSHIPS 101 PART 7 

THE LAW OF RESPECT

"What does the Bible say about respect?"

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls

Timothy 5:1-3 Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him "respectfully" as you would to your own father . Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers.

The apostle Peter summarizes the Bible’s teaching on respect in his first Epistle: “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king” ( 1 Peter 2:17 ). This passage encompasses four major areas of our lives, teaching us that, as followers of Christ, we should respect all men, other Christians, God, and governmental authorities or leadership.

Few weeks ago I studied the leadership structure of the Army and of course some core values of the Army profession. I found out some amazing leadership lessons from my study. I discovered that the Army place so much emphasis on relationships/team work. In the Army you're taught to value and esteem relationship. The US Military proudly states, "together we are army strong". The Army works as a team dynamic. They are concerned about the mission at hand and they know that it can't be done alone- it's all for one and one for all. Also in the Army you're taught the value of respect. Not only do you respect your superiors but also your fellow soldier. The Army's view of respect - treat people as they should be treated. The soldiers code " treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same."

What exactly is respect?

Respect means to admire deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements. It’s the sense of worth or personal value that you attach to someone. Respect is an overall evaluation you give someone based on many factors – what that person is doing with their life. The word respect is a translation of the Greek word timēsate , meaning “honor or value.” It literally means “to place a great value or high price on something.” Respect also means honor.
In this series, we will explore three areas of respect – self-respect, respect for others and other people’s respect for you. All three of these areas of respect are very important.

It Starts with Self-Respect

Respect for ourselves guides our character, morals attitudes. To respect yourself simply means to lead a honorable life. Honor is a matter of living the values of the kingdom. If you do not respect  yourself, it will be more difficult for you to respect anyone else. So it all begins with self-respect. Respecting yourself means giving and defining your own worth and value as a human being. The first person to demand respect from is yourself. Respect begets respect. People can't possibly respect you if you don't first respect yourself.

Respect for Others

Respect for others guides our manners.
You will not find it difficult to respect others if you respect yourself. Just like with yourself, when you demonstrate respect for others, you give value to their being and ideals. Keep this in mind: you owe everyone a basic level of respect for being a fellow human being, but your level of respect for others will vary from person to person. There’s nothing wrong with affording some people greater respect than others. You should be kind and polite to everyone – no question about that. But for obvious reasons, some of us simply deserve more respect than others. The highest levels of respect are always earned – never given. This is true of self-respect as well as respect for others.

How to Gain others' Respect

We've said that a leader isn't a boss. This means leaders must earn respect for themselves. Respect is not a right or gift. You must develop and grow if you want to be respected. People respect you more as you grow. It isn't strange to know that elderly people are more respected. In the next episode we shall consider The law of respect, why some leaders are not respected, and highlighting some important ways that leaders gain others’ respect.

Being a leader takes respect. Are you respected in your community, church, class or work?